John Fryer, TfGM's Transport and Event Planning Lead, said: 'The demonstration in the city has added to an already busy weekend for the transport industry across the region.

'A small minority of those in attendance have shown a complete disregard for the travelling public and by their actions have made it clear that their sole intention was to cause trouble and be as disruptive as possible.

'We've been working extremely closely with the police and operators across the weekend to ensure we had the right plans in place to support festival goers as well as all those coming in and going out of the city for work, retail or leisure purposes, but clearly blocking tram tracks and roads has meant some of these services have been affected.

'Our transport coordination centre enables us to work closely and collaboratively with our partners and I'd like to thank them for their continued efforts in ensuring the tens of thousands of people attending Parklife have got their quickly and on time and for their quick responses during the protest, as some of the contingency plans put in place enabled us to keep people moving on a very challenging afternoon.

'I'd also like to thank the public for bearing with us as we did all we could to minimise disruption.'

The silent protest was carried out on the anniversary of the gun massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people dead. It became the deadliest terrorist attack in the US since 9/11.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman tweeted: 'Please avoid Piccadilly Gardens area, as a protest has turned nasty. Some disruption to public transport too.'

Earlier in the day, they said: 'There is an increased police presence in the city centre to ensure that a planned demonstration passes peacefully with minimal disruption.

'There is a demonstration taking place in Piccadilly Gardens this afternoon, please avoid the area if possible until protestors have finished.'

Hundreds of people turned up for the rally in Manchester this afternoon - just weeks after the Manchester terror attack

Police came prepared for trouble, although it is not clear if anyone was injured or arrested

Members of the group were seen shouting and singing during their silent protest which was organised by Tommy Robinson

Groups clashed on the streets of Manchester this afternoon after UK Against Hate met anti-fascist groups near Piccadilly Train Station

Greater Manchester Police officers attended the march on Sunday and it is unclear whether they made any arrests

Police guided the 'silent protesters' on from Piccadilly Gardens in central Manchester

A protester confronts police in central Manchester. There were some scuffles reported between the groups

The march occurred on the anniversary of the Orlando Pulse massacre, where 49 people were killed

The organisers of the march said that it had been left to them to stand up for the 'ordinary people of the United Kingdom'

Other protestors voiced their views and held up signs and banners saying 'we won't stand for this' and 'we've been DUPed'

The march was met by a counter-protest by members of Unite Against Fascism

Mr Robinson, 34, from Luton, Bedfordshire, organised the march. A message on the group's website told protestors to meet at 2pm.

It read: 'It has now been left to us, the ordinary people of the United Kingdom to stand up to hate, to unite and in one voice say 'no more'.

'That's why on Sunday the 11th of June, we will stand together in Manchester in opposition to hate.

'We will say 'no more', we will walk in silence through the city to honour the dead, we will rally to demand action, we will make ourselves impossible to ignore.'

Some of the demonstrators who stayed on in Piccadilly Gardens

The protest turned violent when rival groups bumped into each other during the day, which was billed as being a 'silent' march

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said that the protest had 'turned nasty' and advised the public to avoid the area

The protestors was later opposed by a counter demonstration which involved a collection of anti-fascist groups (pictured)

Police stepped in between the two groups and were in Manchester to try and make sure that the planned protest was carried out 'peacefully'

Many of the group gathered outside the Piccadilly Tavern in Manchester and some people brought a giant England flag with them

The group marched through the centre of the city and it was organised in response to the terror attack which left 22 people dead